Separation to God

14 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?(A) Or what fellowship does light(B) have with darkness?(C) 15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial?[a] Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?(D) For we[b] are the temple of the living God, as God said:

I will dwell(E)
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,(F)
and they will be my people.[c](G)
17 Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you.[d](H)
18 And I will be a Father(I) to you,
and you will be sons(J) and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.[e](K)

So then, dear friends, since we have these promises,(L) let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit,(M) bringing holiness to completion[f] in the fear of God.(N)

Footnotes

  1. 6:15 Or Beliar
  2. 6:16 Other mss read you
  3. 6:16 Lv 26:12; Jr 31:33; 32:38; Ezk 37:26
  4. 6:17 Is 52:11
  5. 6:18 2Sm 7:14; Is 43:6; 49:22; 60:4; Hs 1:10
  6. 7:1 Or spirit, perfecting holiness

14 (A)Do not be [a]mismatched with (B)unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness (C)share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? 15 Or what (D)harmony does Christ have with [b]Belial, or [c]what does a (E)believer share with an (F)unbeliever? 16 Or (G)what agreement does [d]the temple of God have with idols? For we are [e](H)the temple of (I)the living God; just as God said,

(J)I will (K)dwell among them and (L)walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17 (M)Therefore, (N)come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.
And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will welcome you.
18 (O)And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be (P)sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.

Paul Reveals His Heart

Therefore, having these promises, (Q)beloved, (R)let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 6:14 Lit unevenly yoked
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Gr Beliar; a name of the devil and the antichrist
  3. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Lit what part has a believer with an unbeliever
  4. 2 Corinthians 6:16 Or a temple
  5. 2 Corinthians 6:16 Or a temple